Karakoçan restaurateurs maintain 50-year tradition of free meals

In the Karakoçan district of Elazığ, Turkey, local restaurant owners have maintained a tradition of providing free meals to citizens in need for approximately 50 years. Known as the “İhtiyaç Sahibi Masası” (Table for Those in Need), the practice allows individuals facing financial difficulties to request soup or food without being charged any fee.

Local business owners, including Turan Yetik, state that the tradition is passed down through generations and is not conducted for advertising purposes. The practice involves multiple establishments in the district center ensuring that anyone requesting food is welcomed and served according to their needs. Business owners emphasize that the initiative is driven by a sense of social responsibility and humanitarian duty rather than commercial interest.